On 6/10, Fortune magazine announced its 2026 list of the 100 Most Powerful Women in Asia. Five Vietnamese businesswomen were recognized: Pham Thu Huong, Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup; Mai Kieu Lien, CEO of Vinamilk; Nguyen Thi Hoa, CEO of Viettel Global; Nguyen Bach Diep, Chairwoman of FPT Digital Retail; and Dang Huynh Uc My, Chairwoman of AgriS.
This year's list features an increased number of Vietnamese representatives compared to previous years. Pham Thu Huong and Nguyen Bach Diep made their debut appearances, while Mai Kieu Lien was honored for the third consecutive year.
This year, Mai Kieu Lien secured the 71st position, rising two spots from 2025 and four spots since her initial recognition in 2024. Fortune highlighted her journey from engineer to one of Vietnam's longest-serving CEOs, leading Vinamilk through privatization, listing, and international market expansion.
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Pham Thu Huong (top left), Mai Kieu Lien, Nguyen Thi Hoa, Nguyen Bach Diep, and Dang Huynh Uc My. Photo: Fortune/Company provided |
Pham Thu Huong, in her first appearance on the list, ranked 37th, the highest among Vietnamese representatives. She is the Vice Chairwoman of Vingroup, the largest private company on Vietnam's stock exchange, and also oversees GSM, the operator of the Xanh SM taxi and ride-hailing service. Pham Thu Huong is the wife of Vingroup Chairman Pham Nhat Vuong.
Nguyen Thi Hoa serves as CEO of Viettel Global (Viettel Global International Investment Joint Stock Corporation). She assumed this position in 2/2025, becoming the first woman to hold the role. This marks her second consecutive year on Fortune's list, where she ranked 84th.
Nguyen Bach Diep is the Chairwoman of FPT Digital Retail. She joined FPT, Vietnam's largest technology group, in 1994 and established FPT Digital in 2012. This is Nguyen Bach Diep's first time on the list of Asia's most powerful women, ranking 90th.
Dang Huynh Uc My is currently the Chairwoman of Thanh Thanh Cong - Bien Hoa (AgriS). AgriS operates as a high-tech agricultural enterprise with annual revenues exceeding one billion USD. Fortune placed her at 95th, recognizing her efforts to transition Vietnam's largest sugar company toward a circular and smart agricultural model.
Fortune evaluates representatives based on the scale and business performance of the companies they lead, their innovation, influence, career achievements, and societal impact. The rankings reflect both their current influence and future potential for impact.
This year, DBS Group CEO Tan Su Shan retained the number one position on the list. Meanwhile, Lens Technology founder Zhou Qunfei recorded the most impressive ascent, rising from 25th last year to third this year. Nearly 25% of the representatives on the list are new faces, hailing from 14 regional economies.
Technology contributed the most representatives, with 16 women, followed by banking. The individuals on the list have shaped industries, companies, and markets across the region and globally.
Ha Thu (according to Fortune)
